TV segment and update on Ukrainian toddler with celiac disease

[Original post]
Celiac disease organizations seek U.S. sponsor for Ukrainian boy
September 13, 2022

By Jennifer Iscol and Lee Graham

The Celiac Community Foundation of Northern California is working together with the National Celiac Association (NCA) and several Boston-area organizations to help a Ukrainian child come to the United States for medical care and refuge from the war.

Daniel is two years old and has celiac disease. Although celiac disease can be treated and is often well controlled with a strict gluten-free diet, Daniel’s health is still in peril. He is Ukrainian and lives near the capital Kyiv with his parents, Kateryna and Alexander. 

Daniel has been hospitalized multiple times, even before Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year. The family is in frequent physical danger from the war. Daniel’s complex case requires a specialist in celiac disease care, while scarce medical resources are devoted to treating the wounded. 

The family is seeking a U.S. sponsor to help bring Daniel and his parents to the United States for refuge from the war and to seek medical treatment. Upon arrival in the United States, Daniel’s parents plan for him to be cared for at the Mass General for Children Center for Celiac Research and Treatment in Boston.

As is the case for many Ukrainians, ongoing Russian rocket attacks and street fighting have the family constantly on edge. Sporadic shipments of food from the Polish Coeliac Society have helped nourish Daniel, for which the family is grateful, as Kateryna says her access to gluten-free food is severely diminished.

“Thanks to the outreach efforts of the Celiac Community Foundation of Northern California and the National Celiac Association, we became aware of the family’s situation. It is part of our mission to support and educate individuals with celiac disease and their family, including Daniel and his parents who are in a very difficult situation,” says Susie Flaherty, MA, ATR-P, communications director for the Mass General for Children Center for Celiac Research and Treatment. 

Under the U.S. government’s program Uniting for Ukraine, private citizens can make it possible for Ukrainian families to find safety in the United States by becoming their sponsor. Daniel’s parents are hoping to find a sponsor in Massachusetts in order to most directly pursue his treatment at Mass General for Children. A sponsor from California or another state would also work, as the family can travel within the United States after they arrive. (See the box below to learn more about sponsorship.)

Like many Ukrainians, Daniel’s parents lost their jobs after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Under the Uniting for Ukraine program, the family is eligible to apply for health insurance, food assistance and other benefits, as well as employment authorization. The parents are eager to find refuge, stability, volunteer work and ultimately employment in the United States.

The Celiac Community Foundation of Northern California learned of Daniel’s case and reached out to its longtime partners in the Boston area, including the National Celiac Association and the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Mass General for Children. The organizations previously worked together to form a Gluten-Free Disaster Relief Task Force and on disaster preparedness following U.S. hurricanes, wildfires and mudslides.

Catholic Charities Boston is another member of our “team” and ready to provide resettlement services, including guidance in applying for a work permit and for benefits such as health insurance and food assistance. Catholic Charities implements a “Welcome Circle” model and provides toolkits to help all the individuals and organizations supporting and assisting a Ukrainian family coordinate their efforts.